How would you have dealt with this situation...

TazziRN, RN · May 23, 2007

I would have asked her "Then why are you and I not working together?"

In private, of course.

Um.....you set her pills on the bedside table and left to get her water. You were going to leave the room? Things might be different now but I was taught to never leave pills at the beside.

labcat01, BSN, RN · May 23, 2007

I LOVE Tazzi's response but she's right, what would you have done if you came back with the water and the pills were gone?

GingerSue · May 23, 2007

same thought - never leave pills at the bedside

example - recently my father was in hospital

and various staff come in and leave his pills in the

paper med cup, on his dinner tray, then they leave

the room

I have to remind him to take the pills, cause he

forgets, his vision isn't 100% any more, or

he gets some of his food stuck in the med cup

and the pills stick to the cup

or he drops them in the bedsheets

(if I wasn't there to keep an eye on things,

he wouldn't always get his pills would he?)

(did he get his lunchtime pills? - I can't be there all day)

about the other staff and the water pitcher -

try to find ways to work together, offer to help

whenever you can

and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

This particular incident - try to keep it in perspective.

morte, LPN, LVN · May 23, 2007

when i started to read, that is what i expected to be the problem...that the pills disappeared......as far as the aide's attitude....kill her or him with sweetness, laced with a little sarcasm....."oh, thank you so much, i was WONDERING why the water pitcher was EMPTY"?..... with a raised eyebrow.....

OneSweetNurse · May 23, 2007

Okay 1hotRN everyone has just focused on what you did wrong and yes dont leave meds on beside table now lets focus on what your question was

I have had this happen to me also where pt are feel they should not ask the NURSE for anything "it is the CNA's job" and I have actually been told that. So the way I handled it was : I explained to the pt that I was happy to do things for her/him that is my job also. I would have taken the CNA aside and explained that I am not that kind of NURSE that leaves the JOB for the CNA to do. I am happy to get the pt water, blankets, turn, change, walk, etc and if you ever need help please ask me, I will not tell you "that is not my job"

But just make sure that that is your intention and do it You have not won the trust or respect of your CNA's yet so just work on it it worked for me I LOVE MY CNA'S!!!!!!

1hotRN601 · May 23, 2007

Yes, I know you are not suppose to leave the pills at bedside , I should have put that in parethesis. The patient had no narcs, and was very compliant, and the ice stand was right outside the room .

nursing 101 · May 23, 2007

I am sorry but if it is the CNA's job why not tell her? CAn the CNA do my job? I certainly would not call a cna if I am already in the room just to get a water pitcher for the patient, I would gladly get it but exactly where do we draw the line? I am sick and tired of our job description being everyone elses job included and on top of it we can't say anything about it.

Why do you think there is such burn out in nursing? CNA always get upset if you call them to do something (specially if you are new). I am all kindness but please don't mistake it for lack of assertiveness. If I were you next time I would let her know that it is in her primary job description to get a water pitcher, as well as mine so please no lip about it.

Wake up and smell the coffee, the nurse helps everyone but no one helps us.

msdobson · May 23, 2007

same thought - never leave pills at the bedside

:yeahthat:

AlisonBSN · May 23, 2007

Some CNAs will say that even if you aren't new...You're gonna hear so much passive aggressive crap like that. You learn to laugh at it. That phrase is probably heard in hospitals all over the country. "We work together around here..." That was actually said to me when I started as a PCT. One of the other PCTs training me said to not let the nurses work you to death because "we're supposed to work together around here."

I'm actually having this problem now. I'm a brand new RN working on the floor where I worked as a PCT for a year, and it's very difficult for me to delegate things to the other techs. I just remember working as a PCT and having a nurse walk out of a room from a patient who asked to be taken to the bathroom or put on a bed pan and thinking: You were just there!

Now I get it...It's a lot easier to get behind as a nurse, and a lot harder to recover from especially when a lot of nursing tasks have to be done by a certain time. I still know how the PCTs think, and I don't want to be "that nurse." I know that I'm not the type to overwork the techs, so I really hate it when I'm questioned about the things that I do ask them to do. Like..."why can't the patient do that himself??" I feel like saying..."I don't know, get him to do it himself if he can, but if he can't, then help him...Either way, make it not my problem!" But I would never say that. :saint: I just end up doing it myself. :trout:

Sometimes I feel like it takes longer to find the PCT to ask them to do all the little time consuming things...so that's my excuse for doing them myself, but really - it's just because I don't feel comfortable asserting myself. And I wonder what the patient will think if I say: Hold on, let me get someone to do that for you.

So...The CNS on the floor is sending me to a delegating class because I'm doing the job of two people. Close to it, anyways.

pagandeva2000, LPN · May 23, 2007

I am sorry but if it is the CNA's job why not tell her? CAn the CNA do my job? I certainly would not call a cna if I am already in the room just to get a water pitcher for the patient, I would gladly get it but exactly where do we draw the line? I am sick and tired of our job description being everyone elses job included and on top of it we can't say anything about it.
Why do you think there is such burn out in nursing? CNA always get upset if you call them to do something (specially if you are new). I am all kindness but please don't mistake it for lack of assertiveness. If I were you next time I would let her know that it is in her primary job description to get a water pitcher, as well as mine so please no lip about it.
Wake up and smell the coffee, the nurse helps everyone but no one helps us.

I see both sides...but the danger was that if you had left the pills at the bedside to get water and they disappeared, how would you explain that? You do have more tasks to do besides what the CNA does and if the NURSE makes an error, there is more hell to pay than if a CNA forgets to replenish water.

It is very true, where do we draw the line?? We can easily do the vital signs, take specimens and bathe patients, but can they chart, medicate or treat patients out of their scope of practice? I have a very similar situation going on where I work in the same clinic as an LPN as I did when I was an aide. The aides (called patient care associates) are supposed to schedule appointments, do vitals, stamp labels for labs, etc. If the patient needs nurse counseling, they are to bring us the patient. At least 10 times a day, I see that appointments are not made, or made properly within the time span ordered by the physician, no labels stamped, no appointments for referrals, etc. I have to stop in the middle of my patient teaching and do all of this, because I am signing off on that chart. I get B-S excuses for why they aren't done, but if I waste time arguing with them, I could have done it myself and displayed professionalism before the client. Meanwhile, they cannot medicate or monitor any patient for us. This is not flame throwing at the aides; however, the position of nursing assistant/associate/technician is to be of assistance to the nurse. I didn't forget that when I was an aide; but some have forgotten.

icuwant2rn · May 23, 2007

I have the same problem with a couple of the aides I work with. They seem to think I should drop everthing to do their job. Don't mind answering a light, getting someone food/drink, putting them on/off bedpan, etc. when I'm not busy doing the job that ONLY I can do. Sometimes you just have to say, "I'm busy right now" and oh well if they get mad. When they start paying my wages I'll care that they're mad.